HP becomes an OT

Our Neurological Aspects of Occupational Performance class had the opportunity to attend a Memphis Rollin' Grizzlies practice, and it was so impressive! I admire so much the dedication and intensity that the players had throughout their scrimmage. Occasionally, a player would get tipped or rolled over in their wheelchair and it was amazing how they could use their upper body strength (sometimes along with the support of other players) to get right back up. The players explained that you need to be a part of the chair for your safety and that you can really feel the difference when you're in a chair that was made for you vs someone else. I learned that the chairs designed for wheelchair basketball range from $3,000-$5,000 and they are not covered by insurance. During this experience, I learned the most by talking to the coach and asking endless questions. When I asked if the players injure their fingers regularly, he explained that most of the players grab the whole wheel o...

In my Neurological Aspects of Occupational Performance course we were assigned one household object and a client scenario for a Media Project. I was assigned "golf tees" and a woman named Barbara who is experiencing an exasperation of her Multiple Sclerosis. Barbara is 64, retired, volunteers as the co-leader at her local MS support group, enjoys sewing and doing crafts. Due to a significant decline in her function, Barbara is being seen by an occupational therapist with plans of going home in 4-5 days. Barbara has assistance from her husband and son when it comes to activities of daily living that are too challenging for her. She hopes to increase her independence and safety in her activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and she has expressed concern about her memory and fatigue interfering with her "getting back to what she was doing." Making the product Materials used: golf tees, paint, printer paper & tape for lab...

"Caregiving is not just about feeding, clothing, and cleaning. It is also about understanding how to navigate a complicated relationship between those who give care and those who are in need of it." This is the first line of the movie The Fundamentals of Caring. The movie is based on the book "The Revised Fundamentals of Caring" by Jonathan Evison and can be watched on Netflix. I chose to watch this movie because I had heard great things about it, and I was curious about the title. The movie is about a teenage boy, Trevor, who has muscular dystrophy and his caregiver, Ben. I highly recommend this movie, so I am not going to give away the plot line. However, some key things stood out to me in the movie. Trevor and Ben get along really well which is great for the two of them. However, at one point they get into a fight and Trevor's mom finds out. Trevor's mom pulls Ben aside and explains that she's so glad they they get along well, but she can't...

References Ameri can Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (3rd ed.).  American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68 (Suppl. 1), S1– S48.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.682006     O’Brien, J. C. & Hussey, S. M. (2017).  Introduction to occupational therapy  (5 th  ed.).   St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.   ISBN: 9780323444484  

Reading Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova has been extremely beneficial to my learning process in Neurological Aspects of Occupational Performance. It has given me an insight to the impact that a diagnosis may have on an individual’s relationships. It is important and interesting to learn about the symptoms and treatments of each neurological disorder. However, as occupational therapists it is essential to think beyond just symptoms and treatments because we use a holistic, client-centered approach. Inside the O’Briens is a good reminder of all the “behind the scenes” emotions and conversations that unfold when an individual receives a diagnosis such as Huntington’s disease. While the story of the O’Briens is fictional, it is realistic and unfolds in a way that makes the reader think about how this would affect any family. The conversations that took place in this story gave me a deeper understanding of Huntington’s Disease, the process of being tested for the inherited ge...